The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-05-22
THE BOX IN THE CORNER.

anu llCheb SCAlNA az q -AAttiO mug hNetA
some valuable oil wells. The station
house was quite distance from the I'M
pretentious thoroughfare that had grown
up in day, and my duties were so ardu-
GUS that had scarcely leisure for a week
ly fitting to a certain mansion on the hill
where dwelt Helen Morris, my promised
wife. In fact it was with the hope Of less
ening the distance between us that had
undertaken these quadrupe duties.
The day had been gloomy, and toward
the afternoon ominous rolls of thunder
porter ded storm.
Colonel Holloway, the well known
treasurer OF lhe oil company, had been in
the village several days. About one
O'Clock he came hurriedly into the office
with a package, which he laid upon my
desk, saying:
''Take care of That, Bowen, till TO NOR
row. I'm going up the road"
The commission was not an unusual one
: and my safe was one OF Marvin best.
&counted the money, which footed up into
the thousands, Placed it in the official en-
yvelope, affixed the seals and deposited it
in the safe. AS turned away from the
lock voice at the door said:
Say, mister, can you tell me the way
to the p st Officer"
A sort of shock went through me at the
unexpected presence that seemed to have
dropped dowH from somewhere, and l re-
piled lrTitably:
you could not miss it if you tri~d.
Keep straight ahead"
Soon large drops of rain came down,
then faster and more furiously, until the
air was one vast sheet of water, and little
rivers leaped madly along the gulies and
culverts. Forked lightning kept pace
with the pealing thunder, and heavens
own artillery seemed let loose. Anything
more dismal and dreary could not well be
imagined, and gradually the loneliness
grew oppressive. Every straggler had fled
to shelter, and the usual idlers had desert.
ed the platform. But l resolutely set to
work at the dry statistics of thu station
books, with an occasional call to the wires
which were ticking like mad, so fierce was
the electric current.
1t was near five o'clock when long
freight train came numbering by, switched
off car or two, then dragged its slow
length onward. This created brief diver.
sion, then once more was deserted.
The next passenger train was not due
till ten o'clock. l lit the lamps and re-
signed myself with questionable patience
I to the intervening hours. An agreeable
&nterruption came in the form of my sup
%per, which was brought IN waterproof
basket by sort of jack at-all-lrades whom
we called jake Shaking himself like
great dog, he "lowed thar want much
more water left up yonder Dohow."
81 hope not indeed, | sad, glad of the
sound OF a human voice. Jake, l called
as he left he effice, ''come back as soon as
you can--l may want you"
| had vague idea of dispatching some
sort of report to Ellen, that had not been
entirely washed away, and obtaining SINH
lar comfort as to her own fate. | little
thought that should rea ~ need him.
think am not by nature more timid
than other men, but as the dismal evening
closed in l took from my desk TWO revolv-
ers kept ready for possible emergencies,
and laid one upon the desk, where l was
making freight entries, and the other on
the table where the electric battery stood.
: AT intervals a fresh package for tn9 night
express was brought by some dripping
carer, who deposited it, got his receipt,
hung about tor a few minutes, then
fastened away TO more comfortable
quarters.
Sti. the rain poured in torrents. 1t must
have been nearly nine O'Clock when
wagon, hurriedly driven, suddenly stopped
at the platform. In a moment the door
was flung open, and saw small ambu-
lauce well known about the village. Two
neen spraug out, and, with the aid of the
DdriveT and his assistant, proceeded 10 pull
out a box which, from its dimensions,
could contain only one kind of freight
the remains of human being.
Carefully placing this box in remote
corner of the room, near other boxes
awaiting transportation, the driver and his
man returned to their wagon, while the
two strangers approached the desk to en-
ter their CHASTITY freight. They wore
slouched hats and were very wet. They
produced death certificate of one John
Slate, who had died at farm house sew
plant, and was to be shipped to friends
down the road. This was all. There was
nothing singular about it, and yet, when
the door was closed upon the strangers
and | was again alone, or worse than
alone, a feeling of awe came over me.
Clearly the storm had somewhat unstrung
me.
n. Only one hour till the train was due,
ter which l could turn in for tue night
"A louder peel of thunder shook the
louise, and tiercer flashed the lightning.
Minute after minute flew by, aud each
&eemed an age. The rear and din of the
Ielemenis only deepened the gloom inside,
where the uncertain Kerosene darkened
klhe shadows.
= Suddeply, TO my overstraned nerves,
eeaseless clicking of the wires seemed |
6ay: watch the box Watch the box /.
'Wateh the box!" AS particular strain
of melody will at times repeat itself in the |
mind, and obstinately keep time to every
movement. till one is well nigh distracted,
so this refrain began to enchain every
sense: "Watch the boxi Watch the box |
Watch the boxw Till now my depressed |
spirits were due only to the solitude and |